How does MR-guided Focused Ultrasound treat tremors?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) aids surgeons by providing high-resolution images that offer precise visual details, enabling accurate targeting of treatment areas and continuous monitoring of progress. During treatment, over 1,000 focused ultrasound beams are directed at a specific target within the body. These ultrasound waves can penetrate various tissues, including skin, fat, bone, and muscle. The beams heat the targeted tissue, causing a burn that destroys it while leaving surrounding tissues unharmed.
In both Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s disease, the ultrasound beams target the thalamus, a brain region responsible for relaying motor and sensory signals. Both conditions disrupt the normal circuitry of the thalamus, resulting in tremors. The heat from the ultrasound creates a small burn or lesion in the thalamus, disrupting the abnormal activity and helping to alleviate tremors.
To learn more about how you can manage your Parkinson’s symptoms through focused ultrasound click here to read more Parkinson’s Disease – Focused Ultrasound Foundation